Remembrance
by Sunsick Puppy
Summary: The things worth remembering are the ones most precious of all. Sephiroth x Cloud
1. Chapter 1

Title: Remembrance 

Genre: Sephiroth x Cloud

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Square Enix.

Author's Note: The first installment of a short multi-parter. I understand that it's rather short, ok, scratch that, make that very short. I wanted to get the first chapter up before Valentine's day, so yeah. Ayway, I have great plans for this fic! For once, it should not turn out as angst!

Readability's a 65.7. Not too good, but oh well...

* * *

The first time Sephiroth met him, the only thought that registered through his mind was how scrawny he was, and that his hair reminded him of his chocobo.

The second time Sephiroth caught sight of him; he was startled – not that he showed it, that the boy was actually just that. A boy – a mere fifteen year old aspiring to become a soldier. Something akin to confusion roiled about in his insides at that piece of information. He was too young, he decided there and then, much too young to see the bloodshed and taste the deaths of his comrades. He was much too young to be in a never-ending war.

The third time he saw him, it was much unlike the first and second, because this time round, Cloud saw him too. More specifically, Cloud collided into him, the boy reeling back at the impact while he stood there solidly, not in the least affected by the slight weight. The boy got the worse of the impact, colliding back into the wall and hitting his head with a jarring sound that almost made Sephiroth wince. That must have hurt.

Cloud groaned, hand going up to nurse his aching head. Sapphire eyes – of a rather unique shade, rose to meet his hard emerald greens, before they widened in recognition. He snapped to attention, arms locked to the side as his cheeks turned an amazing shade of pink.

"General Sir!" he greeted him formally – stiffly, so much so that Sephiroth thought he was just an inch away from a salute. There was that look in his clear blue eyes – the one that spoke of hero-worship, and something else Sephiroth could not identify, but instinctively, he knew that it couldn't be bad.

Sephiroth trusted his instincts. After all, they saved him on occasions too many to count.

He nodded; somehow less stiff than he would always do it, and sent the stray thought that the boy's voice had not even broken yet away.

A closer look at the boy's posture caused a rather unique realization to sink into his mind – the boy actually seemed to be beaming, or blushing. Either way, his eyes shone too much to be normal. There and then, Sephiroth entertained the thought that the kid actually ingested Mako – would have believed his theory of his rather active brain if not for the fact that the kid was too scrawny to have had Mako injections before and that his eyes shone too brightly to have tasted the aftereffects of Mako.

Sephiroth blinked – an action that chased ridiculous random thoughts away, though to a normal being, it would just about constitute an involuntary reflex action. Putting one leg in front of the other, Sephiroth continued on his way, the action fluid coming from him even though he was rather preoccupied with the bright eyed boy with hair like his chocobo. He couldn't help but notice that the blue, almost florescent eyes followed him all the way.

He suddenly felt elevated to a status of a god.

* * *

HNO3: My writing style has changed a bit in this fic. Oh well... Anyway, feedback's very welcome. This is the first 'official' time i've attempted a non-angst fic after all. ) 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Remembrance

Genre: Sephiroth x Cloud

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and its characters do not belong to me. They belong to Square Enix.

Author's Note: The second installment of a short multi-parter. Sephiroth is fun to write.

Readability's around 65.7. Not too good, but oh well...

* * *

The fourth time he met him, he was rather surprised. After all, it was the least possible place he ever expected to meet a lowly recruit such as the boy-with-hair-like-his-chocobo's-feathers Cloud. 

He was paying Zack, his sidekick, a visit. Actually, that would be a nice way of putting it. A harsher, nastier way of saying it would be to announce that he was going to find Zack and demand he hand up the mission reports on time, and in more legible handwriting. Any other handwriting would be a vast improvement from the ones he got – Sephiroth mused. After all, he almost couldn't differentiate it from chicken scratch.

His sidekick was teaching Cloud how to fight – a rather sad attempt since Cloud seemed cowed by the fact that a highly ranked first-class soldier, sidekick to General Sephiroth himself, was teaching him, that he didn't seem able to concentrate on the tips Zack was helpfully giving out – generously.

Sephiroth felt his right eye twitch, and he blinked it away. He knew his body well enough to recognize the beginnings of laughter – and of course, it simply wasn't fitting that General Sephiroth burst out laughing at well…his sidekick and the chocobo look-a-like.

He cleared his throat, and saw Zack's smile turn into a full-wide grin. Of course his sidekick could feel his presence long before he generously announced it for the benefit of the recruit. The recruit turned around, saw him and promptly saluted; muscles immediately tensing up, eyes widening and glowing that strange unique shade of sapphire blue and well, gave him his rapt attention.

Sephiroth nodded; an action that seemed to make Cloud glow more, if that was even possible. His random part of the brain supplied the image of a glow-fish – though how that image actually fit, he never really figured it out.

Turning back to his sidekick, he allowed his lips to purse in a straight tight line – an image that should send enemies fleeing by the thousands and his armies bowing for forgiveness and Hojo running for sedatives – for him. The last particular thought made his lips tighten more, and oh, his sidekick should be very afraid.

General Sephiroth was annoyed.

Instead, Zack's grin widened further – an action Sephiroth would deem impossible if not exposed to the incredible sight of it. "Yo Seph! What are you doing here?" he said, gesturing around the place as if he did not notice his General was not happy.

Apparently, Cloud did. He reacted accordingly – did even Zack's share for him. He wilted. Yes, that would be the only way to describe him. Cowered didn't seem like an appropriate word to use, since he was still in that stiff salute. So yes, wilted – even his hair seemed to droop, and the glow seemed faded. He decided he liked the recruit – he was a good influence on Zack. Hopefully, Zack wouldn't be a bad influence on him.

Turning his attention back to Zack, though he only spared the recruit a second of his, he narrowed his eyes – he believed in being subtle; more poise, more grace befitting that of a General. Cloud whimpered. Zack didn't seem to notice – very unlikely. He probably didn't care.

"Your reports," he said curtly, and saw Zack's face turn sheepish.

"Oh yeah," Zack replied, running a hand through his unkempt hedgehog hair. "They're on my desk. I was going to hand it to you, but I got sidetracked by kiddo over here. I couldn't help but give him some tips – he looks positively fragile over here! I won't be surprised if the others use him as a teddy bear or punching bag or a sex – "

"Lieutenant," Sephiroth interrupted, sparing himself and Cloud who was turning red, the agony of Zack's musings. "I received your reports. They are incoherent and illegible," he stated.

Zack looked surprised. "You sure you got the right reports?" he asked, looking contemplative. "I'm quite sure I haven't handed it in, and that my handwriting's not too bad. I did it on a desk this time."

Sephiroth shuddered inwardly as he remembered the state of the reports when Zack had done it on a chocobo on the journey back. He called it multitasking. Sephiroth thought Zack was trying to murder him.

"They look like chicken scratches," Sephiroth deadpanned.

A pause – while Zack rubbed at the stubble under his chin. Then, as if he came to an almighty conclusion, he smirked at Sephiroth winningly.

"I think that's Reno!" he said. At Sephiroth's almost incredulous look – which could only be spotted by eyes trained to master Sephiroth's subtle nuances, Zack elaborated. "I dared him to," he chuckled. "You know, to give a commanding officer chicken scratches for reports. It's an ongoing dare we have on – and whoa, the stakes are high, and so is the betting pool," he paused, giving Sephiroth a cursory once-over. "Apparently, he picked you," he winked.

Sephiroth blinked, not exactly sure what to make out of it. Was this humiliation – that a Turk did not fear him enough that he would give the General Sephiroth chicken scratch? Deciding to settle for the aloof, composed look, he fixed Zack with a leveled gaze.

"Please refrain from involving the rest of the army with your pranks. It is unfitting for someone of your rank," he said – voice like chipped ice. Sephiroth prided himself on that – the ability to sound downright dangerous on a whim. It was a very useful talent.

Zack shrugged, smiling. Unfortunately, it seemed that Zack was immune to it. Ignoring the grin, he turned and walked away, sparing Cloud the stiff statue a glance as he did so.

Again, he felt those curious eyes follow him until he was out of sight. This time however, it was coupled with Zack's rather inelegant laughter.

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HNO3: Feedback is very welcome. 


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